Latest science news in Paleontology & Archaeology
New Clouded Leopard Species Comes in 2 Unique Types
The big cats owe their origin to super-volcanic eruptions and rising sea levels.
Researchers find smoking gun of world’s biggest extinction
About 250 million years about 95 per cent of life was wiped out in the sea and 70 per cent on land. Researchers at the University of Calgary believe...
Toxic Ash Clouds Might Be Culprit in Biggest Mass Extinction
Tiny globs of once-molten coal may have poisoned the oceans 250 million years ago
Mystery bird: Carolina Wren, Thryothorus ludovicianus
This lovely North American species is often confused with a close relative, the Bewick's wrenCarolina Wren, Thryothorus ludovicianus, photographed in a backyard in Houston, Texas, USA.Image: Joseph Kennedy, 8 January 2011 [velociraptorize].Nikon D200,...
The Disappearing Spoon by Sam Kean; Periodic Tales by Hugh Aldersey-Williams — review
Two lively tales of the periodic table and the scientists behind it are full of entertaining nuggetsAfter the rise of Adolf Hitler, two of Germany's leading liberal scientists, Max von Laue and...
Natural signs that show spring comes earlier
Scientists warn of danger to Britain's birds and fish as the ancient timetable of plant and animal life unravelsSpring is sooner recognised by plants than by men, states the Chinese proverb –...
Dino-era sex riddle solved by new fossil find
The discovery of an ancient fossil, nicknamed 'Mrs T', has allowed scientists for the first time to sex pterodactyls – flying reptiles that lived alongside dinosaurs between 220-65 million years...
Beyond the bullet: Watching Giffords' brain injury for signs of luck and persistence
Odds say a shot to the head should be fatal. Those who survive face a host of challenges as they try to rebuild their lives.The spectral images, reproduced in neurosurgery journals and...
At Sundance, a science documentary revives language questions
'Project Nim' explores the life of a chimpanzee who was raised in a human family in the 1970s.Among the offerings at this year's Sundance Film Festival is a documentary about...
Food for Fort: On ancient home brew and food dehydrators | Matthew Fort
We've been given a decades-old bottle of home brew wine – is it safe to drink? Plus the hunt for a food deyhdrator in the UKA friend's dad has given us some...
Mystery bird: Harris's hawk, Parabuteo unicinctus
This North American bird is so amazing that I often think that the behaviours of the Velociraptors of "Jurassic Park" fame were modeled after themHarris's hawk, Parabuteo unicinctus, also known as the Harris...
2 bacterial enzymes confer resistanceto common herbicide, say MU researchers
COLUMBIA, Mo. -- In an article in the Nov. 23 issue of the journal The Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, researchers with Dow AgroSciences and the University...
Chimps wear personalities on their mugs
People deftly gauge aggressiveness in their evolutionary cousins' expressionless faces
Ancient Transylvanians Rich in Gold, Treasure Shows
Surprisingly hefty golden snake bracelets have been traced to ancient Transylvania—confirming a mysterious people's mineral wealth.
New Anglo-Swiss research questions impact of GM wheat on insects
An Anglo-Swiss research project has found that the impact of disease-resistant genetically-modified wheat plants on insects may be negligible...
Observatory: A 160-Million-Year-Old Pterosaur and Its Egg Are Discovered
The fossil of a species of flying reptile that coexisted with dinosaurs is the first female of its kind to be associated with an egg.
Scientist at Work: Last Look at Mush Valley
We have finished our work in Ethiopia, having collected a vast array of fossils that is noteworthy for its lack of palm specimens.
How the Romans made pottery in Britain
In the shadow of Hadrian's Wall, Roman soldiers defended their empire's northern borders in Great Britain, passed the time in their bathhouses and inevitably drank a lot of wine. They...
DNA detectives in the Viking North West
The Vikings are alive and well and living in the North West of England! Thats the revelation in a new book on an epic research project into the genetic...
Will Giant Galapagos Tortoise Ever Mate?
Famed Galapagos Tortoise Lonesome George To Get 2 Female Partners In Hopes Of Becoming Dad
Comedians regale skeptics with tales of cats in space and aliens in Ancient Britain - video
Stand-up comedians Helen Keen and Matt Parker perform for Skeptics in the Pub at the Monarch in Camden on 23 December
University of Southampton historian researches forgotten letters of Jewish refugee
A chance discovery of thousands of letters between an exiled German Jew and his family and friends living in Nazi and post-war Germany, as well as around the world, has...
Source of River Tay 'pinpointed'
River experts claim they have finally found the precise source of the River Tay, the longest river in Scotland.
Swiss collector returns 4 ancient mummies to Chile
(AP) -- A Swiss collector has returned four pre-Columbian mummies to Chile, including two that are believed to be up to 7,000 years old.
Fossil of Cretaceous-era squid found in Peru
Paleontologists said Thursday they discovered the 85-million-year-old fossil of a previously unknown squid species from the Cretaceous era in the high jungle region of northeastern Peru.
Mother Pterosaurs Laid Soft Eggs, New Fossil Hints
The discovery is also the first to show the difference between male and female pterosaurs, suggesting only males had elaborate head crests.
Fiercest birds make the best home decorators
You might raise your eyebrows at their choice of material, but you wouldn't want to pick a fight with a black kite whose nest is adorned in white plastic, Spanish...
Finding footprints: how ancient people affect modern landscapes
Theres a common misconception that prior to European contact in the 15th century, the Americas were a pristine, untouched wilderness, inhabited by people who lived in complete harmony with their...